Consider a commercial insurance broker the next time you buy insurance online, until a recent resurgence of interest due to new online commercial products, they have not had a good Internet experience.

Brokers provide service, knowledge, quality products, claims help and advice as well as comparing insurance quotes, qualities that are rare or missing in the alternative self-service world of the online price comparison websites.

When direct personal lines cover became an acceptable method of selling and delivering insurance via the Internet, the soothsayers of business doom were crying the tolling of the death knell for the insurance broker as a profession. Even more so for the business insurance specialist intermediaries.

Commercial insurance was notoriously difficult to provide auto-quoting underwriting systems for and it was believed by the mandarins that commercial policies could not be sold online to an ignorant public.

It was imagined that all insurance business would be dealt with direct either by phone or online and the broker trade would decline.

What these people failed to realise at the time though, was that the broker business model, one based on comparing covers and tailoring policies to suit individual needs, was a time tried and trusted method that would re-emerge online as the peoples favourite method of buying insurance, albeit in a new bigger form of the price comparison site.

Commercial insurance price comparison websites were then predicted to replace the broker, as in effect they are providing the same comparative quotation service as the brokers but on a much larger scale.

Commercial Insurance Brokers realised that they were missing out unless they embraced the comparison site competition. Many of the larger and more Internet savvy brokers decided to take on the comparison sites and offer comparison websites of their own, often with great success.

They took their back office comparison systems and web-enabled them to provide a user-friendly interface. The larger commercial insurance sites now rival the big four price aggregators and many offer a wider range of covers.

With the ability to offer specialist products a broker has an advantage over a price comparison site, however many Specialist schemes from commercial insurance brokers can now be found on price comparison sites. You will often need to look deep and really research the market of quotes offered, to find them though.

Although many smaller brokers have signed up to the large price comparison websites, when you search for their products you are rarely shown these offerings. This is because many brokers have put tight underwriting criteria to the type of business they want from the comparisons site.

Often these restrictions mean that the price aggregator cannot quote their policy because of the restrictive terms imposed.

The fact that if for example, an office does not reach strict security requirements, then the office package comparison system is algorithmically instructed to decline the business.

Computer says No!

Consequently when the comparison sites quotes compared are returned to a prospective buyer, they are usually displayed in the order of cheapest first, showing those without any endorsements or cover restrictions.

Those smaller but maybe more relevant schemes that are maybe slightly more expensive or need some adjustments to the information entered to quote, are not getting a look in against the large insurers who can compete on price.

Many people, especially small businessmen on a tight fixed budget, mistakenly believe that the cheapest insurance is sufficient for their business needs.

This is particularly true of the sole-trader or self-employed tradesman who resents being told he must have public liability insurance to work on a building site for example.

His likely first port of call will be a search engine followed by a big brand price comparison site looking for the best deals.

Most commercial insurance brokers do not want this type of cheap liability business anyway, which is more trouble than it is worth if there is a claim.

They do want good bona-fide small business and registered companies for which they have the advantage over the price aggregators of offering not just specialist packed policies for shops,office, restaurants, pubs and commercial property but also a human face.

Today, more and more trade specific packaged policies are appearing on commercial insurance websites each month as bringing the product to market becomes easier.

Online brokers can offer telephone help, callback services, claims services, market knowledge and advice over price, human versus computer or simply just service. All things that are missing from the price comparison sites.

The new online commercial broker is taking back the initiative and levelling the playing field for the distribution of Insurance on the Internet.

On the whole the future looks rosy for the forward-looking broker who is willing to adapt and change from his Main Street outdated business practices and embrace the Web for all its potentiality.

On a cautionary note, many a local broker with traditional product offerings who does not adapt, will not be found by the general public and his market reach will always be local.

The Internet has allowed online commercial insurance brokers to introduce specialist risks and cover to the business market that would probably not previously been aware of the policies.

It has also spawned new risks itself such as cyber risks cover, professional indemnity and liability for consultants in every IT and online profession, and even commercial property insurance for web server farms.

The local broker is now international if he has the placement facilities.

Niche brokers with niche schemes are now providing these services to new global markets.

If you operate or are responsible for any type of business entity or commercial enterprise, in order to obtain the right insurance for the company you will need to find and compare suitable commercial insurance quotes. A quote is an offer of certain defined insurance covers in a policy for a monetary price.

Quotations can be obtained from numerous sources including locally from specialist high street insurance brokers, over the phone from insurance companies or brokers, or from the many online companies and comparison sites offering all types of insurance cover.

A commercial insurance quote forms a legal offer and is the basis of the contract of insurance between the proposer and the underwriting company. The information you provide on the quotation form is used to calculate both the premium quoted and the levels of cover offered on a policy. The quote data a company provides will be used to complete the policy documents. It is therefore very important that when applying for commercial insurance quotes that the information you supply about your business activities is correct and truthful.

Most companies offering quotes will agree to honour the price offered for a period of thirty days or one month following its issue. When obtaining a quote, regardless of the source, ensure that you retain the reference number which will enable you to either take up the or recall and revise the offer at a later time. Prices offered can fluctuate and a premium offered one week may not be available the next.

Quotes and premiums can be obtained for all business types and all business and commercial risks for both business liability and property insurance, either separately or combined in what is known as a package.

Commercial property insurance will typically provide cover for buildings and contents of business premises of varying types and sizes. For example a shopkeeper would be interested in covering his glass shop front and shop stock whilst a small draughtsman business would require a price for covering the business office equipment. For this reason quotes for a business are often given by insurance companies for packaged policies that are property specific, such as shop insurance quotes or office insurance quotes.

When looking for cover search for companies that offer quotes for your particular type of building. Let property buildings only insurance quotes are available for landlords who just want to cover the buildings, fixtures and fittings. Equally commercial property tenants and lease-holders can obtain quotes that only cover the contents, stock or liabilities.

Liability quotes can be obtained with either combined property insurance packages or as a standalone quotation for individual business liabilities. The most popular liability products quoted for are public liability insurance, employers liability insurance, product liability insurance and professional indemnity insurance.

Commercial liability quotes are widely available online for most trades and professions. Packages often offer all risks cover and if you are looking online most systems allow you to pick and choose various liability coverage options

When comparing quotes online you will not have the assistance of a broker to advise you. It is vital therefore to ensure that you check that the levels of indemnity and covers offered are sufficient for your business, because levels of commercial insurance cover quoted for, can vary as often as the price.

Buying cheap car insurance is not just about getting the lowest premiums. You also need to make sure you are getting the cover and service you need. To help you find the best cheap car insurance deals here are 5 top tips.

1. Compare Quotes

Don’t just renew your insurance with your current provider. Shop around and get at least 3 or 4 quotes from different insurance companies. This will allow you to compare prices and find a better deal. You could save over 25% on your premiums by shopping around and this is easy to do online. There are a number of excellent websites that can offer you fast and effective ways to compare cheap car insurance deals from a multitude of different providers.

2. Choose the Right Cover

With any insurance product the more cover you want the more you will have to pay. If you want to get cheap car insurance you may have to compromise on cover. Insurers offer flexible policies that do allow you to pick and choose some of the elements of cover. You will need to make a quick list of the essential cover you need and be prepared to go without some of the extras if they add too much to the overall costs. Optional extras can include:

Courtesy Car – if you rely on your car for work then you may need this addition to your policy. The insurance company will provide you with a car whilst yours is off the road for repairs. However this option could add quite a bit to your overall insurance costs so only choose this if really necessary.

Breakdown Assistance – most people have separate breakdown cover these days (often provided with bank and credit card accounts) so check you are not over-insuring yourself by paying for this on your car insurance policy as well.

3. Annual Payments

The majority of insurance companies charge you interest if you pay your premiums in installments. This means in most cases you will save money simply by paying a single annual payment upfront. This is one quick and easy way to get cheap car insurance.

4. Security

You can reduce the risk associated with your car by making sure it is secure. This can include adding an alarm and immobilizer and parking it in a secure place (private driveway or garage). This can help you to get cheap car insurance deals.

5. Mileage Figures

Insurers frequently ask you how many miles you do on average in the year. This will only need to be an approximation but in general the more miles you do the higher your premiums could be. Try cutting out on any unnecessary trips and walking or cycling shorter distances. Not only will this cut down on fuel bills but it could also help you to get cheap car insurance as well.